Maybe it was jetlag.
About midway through the third quarter of Friday's conference game against visiting Kodiak (2-8 NLC), the Homer Mariners (3-7 NLC) began to overpower their opponents in a big way, riding a devastating inside-outside performance from guards Josh Gilbert and Dean Devaney that made the suddenly overwhelmed Bears look bewildered and slow.
Photographer: Aaron Selbig, Homer News
Homer guard Josh Gilbert shoots over Kodiak's Mikel Garner for two of his 15 points during a Feb. 27 game.
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On three straight plays in the fourth quarter, when Homer busted open a tight game to take a double-digit lead, Gilbert slashed to the rack like a knife through butter, gliding past Kodiak defenders with ease. On the fourth play, Gilbert ran into a double team and dished to a wide-open Devaney, who calmly stroked his sixth three-pointer of the night.
"He couldn't miss from outside," said Homer Assistant Coach Al Plan of Devaney. "When we shoot well, we really are a difficult team to play. That was one of the better games we've played offensively all season."
The contest, which Homer won 63-50, didn't start off as an offensive clinic, however, as big men Devon Kennelty and Kodiak's Ralphy Mautatia battled inside for much of the first three quarters. Kennelty, a 6 foot 6 inch freshman, showed poise in the paint, disrupting Mautatia's attempts on the defensive end while using his gentle touch and height advantage to score a handful of easy layups.
Although the Mariners led for most of the first half, the Bears, behind Mautatia and guard Erwin Domingo, came back to claim a 23-22 halftime advantage.
Mautatia and Domingo each scored 19 for Kodiak while Devaney led all scorers with 25. Gilbert and Kennelty chipped in 15 and 10 respectively for the Ms.
"Josh was hitting some very nice shots," Plan said of Gilbert. "When he's under control, he's extremely difficult to guard. There are not many players that can guard him one on one."
On the next night, however, in a rematch that did not count toward the Northern Lights Conference standings, Kodiak's and Homer's roles were reversed.
Utilizing a smaller, quicker lineup that maximized the effectiveness of Domingo, the Bears blew out the poor-shooting Mariners 52-34.
"It was a mirror image. They did the things on Saturday we were able to do on Friday. It was essentially the opposite game," said Plan. "We just had a little bit of a mental letdown after a big win."
For Kodiak, Domingo made four three-pointers Saturday and led all scorers with 13. Zach Watkins and David Diocarres each chipped in 12.
For the Mariners, Devaney was the only player to score in double-digits, with 12 points.
The Mariners will have to regroup in a hurry in preparation for the conference championship tournament, which begins tonight in Kodiak with a first-round matchup against the Palmer Moose (7-3 NLC). Only the top three teams in the eight-team tournament will make it to the state championships, to be held next week in Anchorage.
"We'll have our hands full with Palmer," said Plan. "They're extremely tough defensively and are a good outside shooting team. A mental letdown in the fourth quarter is all it takes to lose a big game."
Aaron Selbig can be reached at aaronselbig.@homernews.com.
Boys Basketball
Friday
Mariners 63
Bears 50
Kodiak : 10 14 14 12 50
Homer: 15 8 21 19 63
Homer (63): Gilbert 5 5-10 15, Anderson 2 0-2 2, Devaney 7 5-6 25, Sutherland 2 0-0 5, Wolford 1 2-2 4, Kennelty 5 0-1 10. Totals - 22 12-21 63.
Saturday
Bears 52
Mariners 34
Kodiak : 14 17 9 12 52
Homer: 13 10 5 6 34
Homer (34): Rose 1 0-0 2, Devaney 5 1-1 12, Sutherland 2 1-2 5, Gilbert 4 0-1 8, Brymer 1 0-0 2, Kennelty 2 1-2 5. Totals - 15 3-6 34.
